ADEN, Yemen, April 27 (NNN-SABA) – Three pro-government forces soldiers were killed, during a landmine explosion, that targeted their patrol, in the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah, a government official said.
The landmine explosion hit the military patrol in Mandher area, south of Hodeidah, the official said.
He said, the Houthi fighters had previously infiltrated into the area and planted several landmines and explosive devices, to target pro-government forces.
Yemeni officials said, government forces stationed on the southern outskirts of Hodeidah come under sporadic attacks from Houthis on a daily basis, despite the UN cease-fire in the city.
Hodeidah, the main lifeline entry of Yemen’s 70 percent commercial imports and most humanitarian aid, has become a focal point of a civil war since June, 2018, when government troops, backed by a Saudi-led coalition, launched an assault to retake the port city.
The Saudi-led military coalition intervened in Yemen in March, 2015, to support Yemeni President, Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, after Houthi rebels forced him into exile and seized much of the country’s north, including Hodeidah and the capital, Sanaa.
The troops of the Yemeni exiled government have since advanced to the southern edges of Hodeidah and recaptured the airport after fierce battles against the rebels.
Last Dec, a UN-brokered cease-fire deal was reached in Stockholm between the Yemeni rival parties, to avert an all-out offensive on Hodeidah.
The truce was largely held but both warring forces have failed to withdraw from the port city, despite the deal.– NNN-SABA
